Portable conveyer



Nov. 4, 1952 J, F, JOY

PORTABLE CONVEYER 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Oct. 1, 1948 fizvenfar: cfa oe vhFcfo y Z I aflorizeg g E. a

Nov. 4, 1952 .J. F. JOY

PORTABLE CONVEYER 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Oct. 1, 1948 AGUDDIJD 1329 235323311;KIA-g In van for: c/& Se}; J53

V (ZZZ army l atentecl Nov. 4, 1 952 UNITED STATES ATE. NET OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to portable conveyors and more particularly, but not exclusively, to a portable conveyor which is manually guided and propelled, and which is especially designed for use in removing snow from sidewalks and roadways. The invention is not, however, limited to snow removal and may be used for grading earth or in similar work wherein loose material is to be conveyed.

Snow removal has always been a diificult prob lem, and usually snow is removed from sidewalks and roadways by means of hand shovels or tractor operated plows or loaders. shoveling snow by hand is, a slow and laborious task, and tractor operated plows are usually too expensive for such limited use as around the home and small business establishments. Some gas filling stations and garages have employed snow plows attached to the front bumpers of automobile trucks but such devices, too, are impractical for domestic and limited commercial use. Moreover in the grading of earth in small construction work relatively heavy and expensive tractorbulldozers are usually employed. The present invention contemplates improvements over known types of equipment for removing snow, grading earth and similar work, in that an improved portable conveyor is provided which is extremely effective, relatively light in weight and relatively inexpensive, and which may be easily manually guided and propelled.

The invention, from a broad aspect, may comprise a portable conveyor for removing snow, grading earth and use in similar work. From a more specific aspect, the invention may comprise a portable conveyor which is wheel mounted and manually guided and propelled and embodying a circulating conveyor driven by an engine on the vehicle frame whereby snow, earth or similar material may be readily conveyed. The endless conveyor has a circulating chain carrying flights and is arranged with its orbit vertically disposed at the front of the vehicle so that the material to be conveyed may be moved laterally out of the path of the vehicle and thrown upwardly to one side of the vehicle path. A simple form of control may be provided for starting and stopping the conveyor, and the vehicle frame may have a suitable handle for pushing the vehicle about and the control may embody a control lever conveniently arranged near the vehicle handle. The portable conveyor of the present invention is relatively light in weight and simple in design enabling ready handling thereof, resulting in a machine which is adapted for relatively wide use in conveying materials such as removing show about the home or small business establishments or in light grading work, thus eliminating the laborious task of handling materials with hand shovels and the expense of large tractor plows or bulldozers.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved portable conveyor. Another object is to provide an improved conveyor for removing snow, grading earth or use in similar work where in loose material is to be conveyed. 'Afurthe'r object is to provide an improved portable conveyor which is relatively light in weight, simple and rugged in design and relatively inexpensive in cost. "Yet another object is to provide an improved wheel mounted conveyor which is manua-lly guided and propelled during its operation. A still further object is to provide an improved portable conveyor embodying a wheel mounted vehicle carrying a circulating flight conveyor arranged across the front of the vehicle whereby a path may be cleared for the vehicle as the latter is moved forwardly. Another object is to provide improved control means for efiecting and interrupting drive of the circulating con veyor. dtill another object is to provide an improved portable conveyor for clearing sidewalks and roadways of snow or grading earth, thereby eliminating the laborious task of shoveling snow or earth by hand. A further object is to provide an improved conveyor of the above character wherein the active portion of the circulating conveyor may be elevated simply by tilting the vehicle frame. Ihese and other objects and ad. vantages of the invention will, however, hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings there is shown for purposes of illustration one form which the invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view of a portable conveyor constructed in accordance with a preferred illustrative embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View, on a reduced scale, of the conveyor shown in Fig. l, with parts omitted.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the conveyor.

Fig. is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, showing the driving gearing for the circulating conveyor.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevational View showing details of the sliding engine mounting.

Fig. 6 is a detail vertical sectional View taken on line $ii of Fig. 5.

In this illustrative construction, as shown in the drawings, the improved portable conveyor generally comprises a Wheel mounted vehicle I provided with a guiding and propelling handle 2, a circulating conveyor 3 arranged in transverse vertical planes across the front of the vehicle, and a prime mover 4 on the vehicle for driving the circulating conveyor. Evidently, the vehicle may be mounted and propelled and guided in various other manners.

The wheeled vehicle has a frame 5 of a relatively light but rugged, fabricated construction and the side members 6, 6 of the frame extend rearwardly and upwardly and carry at their upper rear ends a cross member I which supports, at the outer sides of the frame members, grasping portions 8, 8 thereby providing the handle 2 which is adapted to be grasped by the operator to guide and propel the vehicle. The vehicle frame is mounted on a pair of rubber-tired wheels 9, 9 journaled on a transverse axle I suitably supported in brackets ll fixed to the side frames 6. Carried on the tops of the side frames is a plate l2. Suitably secured to the front of the vehicle frame and projecting laterally from the front of the latter is a vertical guide frame 13 providing about its margin a guideway M in which an endless chain 15 of the circulating conveyor is guided for orbital movement in transverse vertical planes. The conveyor chain i is desirably composed of pivoted links it certain of which have flights H attached thereto, and these flights extend forwardly of the chain guideway and are arranged so as to move transversely along or just above the ground surface as shown in Fig. 3. The flight comprises rectangular plates l8 secured by bolts E9 to angle members 28 secured to the chain-links. The guide frame it for the flight conveyor is generally triangular in shape, and has one side extending upwardly and laterally at 2! so that the flight conveyor may move along the ground surface across the front of the vehicle and then run sharply upwardly so that the material being conveyed is thrown upwardly to one side of the vehicle path as the vehicle is moved forwardly. Chain sprockets 22, 23 and 24, arranged at the three corners of the guide frame and suitably journaled on the latter, serve to guide the conveyor chain as it travels about the guide frame, and the sprocket 22 is a chain drive sprocket. Mounted on the vehicle frame is the prime mover 4 which is preferably a small internal combustion engine of a conventional design having a starting pulley or wheel 25 about which a starting rope or cord is adapted to be wound in a well known manner. The engine has a fuel tank 26, an air filter 21 and an exhaust muffler 28, all in a usual manner. The vehicle frame carries a sliding support 30 mounted on the plate I2 to move transversely on the vehicle frame along suitable guides 3|, and the engine 4 is mounted on this sliding support. The sliding support has a lateral lug 32 to which a link 33 is pivotally connected at 34, and the opposite end of this link is pivotally connected at 35 to a crank arm 36. This crank arm is secured to a longitudinal shaft 31 suitably journaled in a bracket 38 secured to the adjacent side member 6 of the vehicle frame. An operating rod 39 extends longitudinally of the adjacent side frame member and is connected by a conventional universal joint 40 to the shaft 31. This operating rod is at its rear end rotatably mounted in a bracket 4| secured to the adjacent substantial width in advance of the vehicle.

side frame member and is provided with an operating lever 42 conveniently arranged near the vehicle handle 2. Thus when the hand lever 42 is manipulated the engine support 30 may be slid transversely along its guides relative to the vehicle frame. The engine power shaft 43 carries a drive pulley 44 which is connected by an endless drive belt 45 to a pulley 4B, the latter being secured to a longitudinal shaft 41 suitably journaled in a gear housing 48 suitably secured to the rear side of the guide frame I3. Secured to and driven by the shaft 4'! is a spur pinion 49 meshing with a large spur gear 50 secured to a horizontal shaft 5! herein arranged parallel with the shaft 4'! and likewise suitably journaled in the gear housing. Secured to and driven by the shaft 51 is a small spur gear 52 which meshes with and drives a large spur gear 53, the latter being secured to a parallel shaft 54 likewise journaled within the gear housing. Secured to and driven by the shaft 54 is a small spur gear 55 which meshes with and drives a large spur gear 56 secured to a parallel shaft 51. The shaft 5! is journaled within the inner side of the gear housing and projects outwardly from the gear housing, as shown in Fig. l. Secured to the shaft 51 is the drive sprocket 22 for the conveyor chain It. When the engine support .30 is moved laterally to the left as viewed in Fig. 3 the drive belt 45 is tightened to effect drive of the circulating conveyor, and when the engine support is moved toward the right, the drive belt is loosened to interrupt conveyor drive. As shown in Fig. 6, the link 33 is located below the crank arm axis, locking the parts with the drive belt in tightened, driving position. A suitable stop may limit swinging movement of either the control lever or the crank arm.

The general mode of operation of the im proved portable conveyor is as follows: The conveyor is moved over the ground surface by the operator who grasps the grasping portions 9 of the vehicle handle 2, and the vehicle is guided by the operator who may swing the handle laterally in one direction or the other as desired. When it is desired to convey loose material such as snow, earth or the like, the operator starts the engine 4 by means of the starting cord which is wrapped around the starting pulley 25, and when the engine is running theoperator may manipulate the hand lever 42 to slide the engine laterally on its mounting to tighten the drive belt 45 thereby to connect the circulating conveyor to the engine power shaft. When the flight conveyor is circulating in its guideways the loose material is conveyed laterally by the bottom run of the conveyor and then is thrown upwardly out of the path of the vehicle thereby clearing along the ground surface a path of The drive of the flight conveyor may be interrupted at will simply by sliding the engine laterally on its mounting to loosen the drive belt 45. The elevation of the conveyor and the depth of penetration of the conveyor flights may be adjusted by the operator simply by tilting the vehicle frame about the wheel axes to raise and lower the flight conveyor in an obvious manner.

As a result of this invention an improved portable conveyor is provided whereby the removal of snow, the grading of earth or similar light conveyor work may be effected in an expeditious manner. By arranging the circulating flight transversely in vertical planes across the front of the vehicle a relatively wide path may be cleared in advance of the vehicle, and the conveyor, due to its novel design, effects discharge of the material upwardly and laterally from the vehicle path. Due to the novel construction and design of the conveyor, cost is maintained at a minimum and a structure which is extremely light in weight results. The improved sliding mounting for the engine provides a simple and convenient means for effecting and interrupting drive of the flight conveyor. By tilting the vehicle frame about the wheel axes the elevation of the circulating conveyor may be adjusted as desired. Other advantages of the invention will be obvious to those killed in the art.

While there is in this application specifically described one form which the invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this form is shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a portable conveyor, a portable base movable over the ground and having a frame pivotally mounted at substantially its center of gravity to tilt in longitudinal vertical planes about a horizontal transverse axis, a conveyor mounted at the front end of said frame for clearing a path in advance of said base, a prime mover, a transverse guideway carried by said frame above the pivotal mounting thereof and extending in parallelism with the pivotal axis of frame-tilt, a support carrying said prime mover and mounted on said guideway for transverse movement therealong relative to said frame, a driving connection between said prime mover and said conveyor including pulleys arranged on parallel longitudinal axes and an endless belt engaging said pulleys, one of said pulleys carried by said prime mover and driven thereby and the other connected to said conveyor, and means connected to said support for sliding the latter along said transverse guideway bodily to move said prime mover to effect tightening and loosening of said drive belt either to effect or interrupt drive of said conveyor without changing the center of gravity of said frame with respect to its axis of tilting movement.

2. A portable conveyor as set forth in claim 1 wherein said tiltable frame has a rearward handle adapted to be grasped by the operator for guiding said base and said frame is tiltable by said handle to raise and lower said conveyor with respect to the ground to vary its operating height, and that said means for effecting sliding of said prime mover includes an operating handle carried by said frame-handle whereby the operator may control the drive of said conveyor as he regulates the operating height of said conveyor.

3. In a portable conveyor, a portable base adapted to travel over the ground and having a frame, said base having a transverse axle on which ground engaging wheels are journalled and said frame being pivotally mounted on said axle at substantially its center of gravity to tilt in vertical planes, said frame having a transverse guiding means overlying said axle and extending horizontally in parallelism with said axle, a slidable support mounted on said guiding means for movement therealong, a prime mover mounted on said slidable support, a conveyor mounted at the front end of said frame for clearing a path for the wheels of said base, adjustable driving connections controlled by the position of said prime mover relative to said guiding means for driving said conveyor, and operator controlled means for sliding said support along said guiding means to change the position of said prime mover laterally relative to said frame to effect or interrupt drive of said conveyor without disturbing the center of gravity of said frame with respect to its axis of tilt.

4. A portable conveyor as set forth in claim 3 wherein said frame has a rearward handle adapted to be grasped by the operator for pushing and guiding said base over the ground and said frame is tiltable by said handle to raise and lower said conveyor with respect to the ground to vary its operating height, and said operator controlled sliding means has a manual operating element carried by said handle whereby the operator may control conveyor drive as he concurrently regulates the operating height of said conveyor.

JOSEPH F. JOY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 525,635 Trevithick Sept. 4, 1894 2,082,600 Squires et al June 1, 1937 2,355,160 Hodson Aug. 8, 1944 2,375,965 Turtle May 15, 1945 2,408,857 James Oct. 8, 1946 

